GM-free Scotland

Lots of real GM unease has been growing in Ireland, and increasingly, it is being translated into action. Besides the hard work and vigilance of GM Free Ireland, Irish regulators rejected of BASF's GM potato trials which the UK caved into as usual (see ONE GM POTATO – News November 2006, MUTATOES – News, April 2007 ), and recently showed signs of pulling together Northern and Southern Ireland to consider becoming a whole-island GM-free zone. Now, the Irish medical profession is beginning to do its homework and speak out.

A public health doctor in Kildare, Elizabeth Cullen, has prepared a detailed letter which has been published in the Irish Medical Journal. She highlights the presence of unlabelled GM already present in Ireland's food, and explains that the scientific roots of the problem are: “that no gene works in isolation and that the effect of a gene is dependent on its interaction with other genes and on its surroundings”. The mutagenic nature of all aspects of the transformation process, and the extent of regulatory shortcomings world-wide are also spelled out. The letter ends with a clear warning: “If planting of genetically engineered crops is allowed in Ireland, we will leave an irreversible legacy to future generations and will be guilty of a deliberate betrayal of their interests. Doctors have an ethical and moral duty to highlight concerns in relation to these issues, and in the interest of health of present and future generations, permission to grow or consume genetically engineered foods in Ireland should be denied.”

She states, simply, “there are good scientific grounds for the opinion that genetic engineering of plants designed to be eaten may be harmful to health”.

If you are unsure what these 'good scientific grounds” are, the Institute of Science in Society (ISiS) has made a list of some experimental and epidemiological highlights:

• Dr. Ermakova's work showed that GM soya made female rats give birth to severely stunted and abnormal pups, with more than half dying within three weeks.
• Hundreds of villagers and Bt cotton handlers in India suffered, and continue to suffer, allergy-like symptoms during harvesting of the crop
• Also in India, thousands of sheep died after grazing on Bt cotton residues; the following year goats and cows also die
• A harmless bean protein transferred to pea plants caused severe inflammation in the lungs of mice and provoked generalised food sensitivities.
• Dozens of villagers in the Philippines fell ill when neighbouring GM maize fields came into flower in 2003; five have died and some remain ill to this day.
• A dozen cows died having eaten GM maize in Germany and more in the herd had to be slaughtered due to a mysterious illness
• GM potatoes transformed to produce a lectin insecticide provoked immune system reactions in the gut and caused damage to every organ system of rats
• Chickens fed a GM maize died at twice the rate of the control animals.

ISiS also summarises the recorded effects of various transgenic traits on experimental and non-experimental animals (including humans). Predictably, GM food containing known animal toxins, such as Bt toxins or lectins, have induced toxicity and allergy symptoms in animals when consumed in transgenic form. Arguably more worrying are instances of transgenic traits which would be thought unlikely to affect animals, such as herbicide tolerance, delayed ripening or amino acid generation, but have led to stunting, sterility and death.

OUR COMMENT

The moral here is that, unless you welcome inflammation, reduced growth, impaired reproduction and an early grave, the science says DON'T EAT GM.

You might like to refer your GP to Dr. Cullen's letter in the Irish Medical Journal 100:5 May 2007, (also available on line www.imj.ie/)

SOURCES

• GM Free Ireland Press Release 13.06.07
• www.imt.ie/ 15.06.07
• Institute of Science in Society Press Release 28.06.07